News: Welcome to the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society Message Board. If you would like to register to be able to post to the message board please email us at webmaster@philippine-scouts.org and give us a username you would like to use. We have been experiencing a significant amount of spam registrations and this seems like the best solution to fix this. Thank you!

If anyone has any information or photos including Sgt. Julian Almonte, I would very much appreciate it. I believe he was assigned to Ft. McKinley, with Troop "G", 26th US Cavalry (PS). My former mother-in-law is his widow, and had her only picture of him in uniform stolen from her at Ohare during a trip.

She's getting on in years, but I'd like to get her a little something to remember him by. If anyone is in the St. Louis area, I will be at the Palawan Massacre memorial at Jefferson Barracks on 04OCT03 with the Marine Corps League delegation.

My "26th Cavalry Roster" shows Sgt Julian Almonte as dying on 5/10/42. That indicates he made the Death March and died at Camp O'Donnell on that date. He probably sufferred from exhaution, malnutrition and possibly diaharrea.

When I first entered the army, I was assigned to the 26th Cavalry at Fort Stotsenburg. I was first assigned with Troop G, where most of the recruits were. Our First Sergeant was Sabiniano Ibanez. There was a Sgt Almonte in Troop G, but I do not remember if he was Julian. Because we had two Sgt Almonte in the regiment. The other was, if I remember was Dionisio Almonte who was assigned with Troop A, where I was assigned later as assistant Troop Clerk. That indicates that Sgt Almonte with Troop G was Julian. Troop F was in Fort McKinley and not Troop G. If I see the picture, probably I will recognize Julian. First Sergeant Ibanez, who later became a Major will be the right person who knew more about Julian. My few notes shows Julian died on May 10, 1942, but don't indicate where and how. He also won the silver star. If he suvived the death march, he might have died at O'Donnell.

How many cavalrymen from the 26th actually made it to Bataan? I was just curious because I believe my lolo was never able to join up with the rest of the american/filipino forces (He mentioned a bridge being destroyed before he and some of his fellow soldiers were able to cross). Also does anybody know of any other "first-person" perspective accounts from Philippine-Scout soldiers besides Col. Ramsey's book? I read most of summaries and battle reports about the defense of the Philippines but I'd like to find more sources on the events during this campaign from a soldier's perspective.

I used the following statistics in a footnote for my article "The Philippine Scouts and the Defense of Bataan" published in the Jan-Mar 2001 Issue of the Bulletin of the American Historical Collection, pp. 5-12: "Casualties during the 26th Cavalry's heroic series of rearguard actions [enabling Fil-Am forces to withdraw to Bataan] reduced the unit from a peak of 843 to under 650 fighting men." My source was John W. Whitman, Bataan: Our Last Ditch, Berryville Graphics, Berryville, VA 1990, p.108."

The most authoriative account of the 26th Cavalry 1941-42 campaign is Col. William E. Chandler's 3 part series in the 1947 Cavalry Journals. Unfortunately my copies were destroyed while I was serving in Vietnam. But I'm sure that the Cavalry Association Libary at Fort Riley must have copies.

Re-26th Cavalry about 25% of its strength was cut off unable to join us in Bataan because most of the men did not reach or cross Calumpit bridge which was destroyed by Gen. Wainwright on Dec. 31, 1941 per Gen MacArthur's order to do so-more info may be given by some survivors of the 26th Cavalry Regt such as Nick de la Cruz of Albany, Calif. Menandro Parazzo of El Paso, Tx and others-Nick was wounded and lost his horse during the charge. he was pickedd up by a chaplain on the way to Bataan. regards fredfoz------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike & Jeff, I was with the 26th Cavalry Regiment. We had a Labog assigned with Troop C, but his first name was Rosendo. He might have changed his name when he was naturalized as U.S. citizen. On Dec 19, 1942, Capt Ralph Praeger and his Troop C was ordered to proceed to Baguio/Bontoc. They moved by buses leaving their horses behind with the regiment. The other members of Troop C with Labog who come from the same province I believed were: Pvts Gollaba, Gaduang and Tugab. Tugab was wounded in Dec 42. Troop C was cutoff and was not able to join us in Bataan. What happened to the three I do not know, or maybe they continued their guerilla activities and joining with some Philippine Army and Constabulary troops in the Cagayan provinces. Mr. Callueng and his wife Florinda from El Paso were orginally from Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya, knew and were related to either Gollaba or Gaduang. I learned more about Troop C's guerilla activities from Lt. Colonel Warren Minton, Retd, who was with troop C. He was a member of the El Paso POW chapter and we use to talk about our regiment before he died about 4 years ago. Thanks, Menandro

Hi, Mike, I don't know if I can be of much help regarding the 26th Calvalrymen who got to Bataan because, although I was out of the 31st Inf, I was sent out to the Phil Army before the war and ended up in Mindanao where I engaged in guerrilla warfare after the surrender. My first assignment was in Iloilo with the PA with Captain Pete VanNostrand from the 26th Cav. He surrendered on 10 May '42 and died in the bombing of the Oryoku Maru.The late LTC Arthur Kendal Whitehead, 26th Cav, was in the withdrawal to Bataan but never made it. He roamed around the central islands until he acquired a boat and sailed to Australia. He wrote a book covering these experiences named An Odyssey of a Philippine Scout.

We have articles by several officers of the 26th from the CAVALRY JOURNAL. Our oldest officer, Col Wm E. Chandler, who is in the Army Residence Community (ARC) was S-3 ofthe 26th and is still very sharp. In addition, we have a roster of whole regt with what happened to each officer & EM during war. Regards, JEO

Dear Mike: Re: Sgt Agapito Gayanilo of E Co., 45th Infntry PS, our 2nd Bn 45th was engaged in Silaim and Anysan Points where Sgt Jacobs and four other Scouts were killed by our own Arty supporting fire. Before that when we were in Abucay, our 2nd Bn made successful advance but the enemy split and surrounded us. We fought fiercely and then food and ammunition sections were cut off for more than 48 hours. Col. Edgar Wright, S-3 of 45th Inf. REgt was able to penetrate and assisted us disengaged because we were short of ammunition. The whole 2nd Bn walked after dark with handkerchiefs at our back of the neck for us to see and follow or hold hands. It is know that the Japanese are myopic and could hardly see in the dark. So, we dared walk which was our longest night walk we ever experienced. Gen. Wainwright wrote in his memorirs and called THE FAMOUS 45TH INFANTRY PS wanting to evacuate the 3 Bns to Corrregidor on the night of April 8th. But we missed the barge and instead the 76American nurses and others reached Corregidor early next morning. Hope Rey will reach this message for his info. regards fr ------------------------------------------------------------------------